Date:
Friday, October 24, 2008
Contact:
Sean McDermott, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4455Patrick Moylan, WSDOT Maintenance and Operations Manager, 206-440-4655
SMOKEY POINT – Crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation have reopened both lanes of SR 531 over Cougar Creek on Lakewood Road. Crews finished the emergency repair to the collapsed culvert on Thursday evening, a day ahead of schedule.
“Completing this emergency repair quickly was a priority for us,” says Maintenance and Operations Supervisor Patrick Moylan. “We needed to get Cougar Creek flowing smoothly again under the road before heavy rains set in, otherwise there was the possibility that the creek could dam up this winter and jeopardize the highway again.”
The emergency repair also restores fish passage under SR 531 just as coho salmon begin their winter run up Cougar Creek. WSDOT is planning to permanently fix the culvert next summer.
The failed culvert was discovered on Sunday, Oct. 5. When the culvert collapsed, a sinkhole formed near the roadway. Debris caused an almost complete blockage of the culvert. During the repair process, a pumping system was used to divert the creek and safely carry fish around the construction site. The contractor, Trenchless Construction, used a hydraulic ram to pound a 24-inch diameter pipe through the existing culvert.
The emergency repair cost an estimated $80,000.
For video from inside the collapsed culvert before the repair, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK1PVry9nFI
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Drivers can now get real time traffic and weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most phones. This new traveler information system builds upon the highly successful Washington State Highway hotline that managed 4.6 million calls each year. Callers can also use 5-1-1 to get statewide construction, mountain pass condition, and state ferry system information, as well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines. TTY users can call 800-833-6388.
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